Showcasing how the unvaccinated people lose their battle against the Covid-19 pandemic in Chennai, data has shockingly revealed that over 60% of Covid deaths recorded in Chennai in December last year were unvaccinated. The revelation has come amid the state battling against the third wave of the pandemic with soaring cases and infection rates. It also has alarmed the government to expedite its vaccination campaign and the citizens to end their reluctance and apathy in getting vaccinated. 

The officials of the Greater Chennai Corporation said on Monday that nearly seven out of ten people who died in the city due to Covid-19 in December weren't completely vaccinated. A piece of data from the medical records of state-run medical colleges and Covid hospitals in the city had shown that 28 out of the 41 people who died in December did not take the vaccine. 

The data had further highlighted that most of the Covid fatalities in December in Chennai had comorbidities and were aged over 60 and were infected with the Delta variant. A total of 37 out of the 41 people who died had comorbidities such as Parkinson's, Hypertension, or Diabetes. The officials of the civic body had said that though more than 90% of adults in Chennai have received at least one dose of the vaccine while more than 70% had completed the vaccination, the city still has at least eight lakh people who are yet to receive their second dose while more than three lakh people have ignored the vaccine. 

On the other hand, the corporation has said its vaccination drive has been picking up the pace. Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi has said that the city has been witnessing immense benefits from vaccination. He said, "As vaccination increased, we saw a decrease in the percentage of people getting into hospitals." 

According to Times of India, Director of Public Health TS Selva Vinayagam said, "Nearly 87% of deaths and 76% of ICU admissions were among those who were unvaccinated. We do see fully vaccinated adults testing positive for the viral infection. A reason why we still ask them to wear masks, maintain social distancing, and follow Covid-19 protocols, is the risk of infection is lower. On the other hand, ICU admissions and deaths are significantly higher among those unvaccinated. Every dose of vaccine has improved benefits. We saw fewer fully vaccinated people in the ICU."